Hydrofluorocarbons are useful as etching gases for the microfabrication of semiconductors, liquid crystals, and the like. In particular, fluoromethane (CH3F) is drawing attention as an etching gas for forming state-of-the-art microstructures.
A known method for producing fluoromethane is, for example, a method in which a mixed gas containing fluoromethane and acid fluoride is obtained by pyrolyzing a starting compound in a gas phase in the presence of an alumina catalyst (Patent Document 1).